A Fishing Tale

Senior citizen fends off robbers with fishing pole

Published in the February 2011 IssuePublished online: Feb 28, 2011Ask The Expert

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You just can't make this stuff up. Last fall a 67-year-old St. Louis man discovered an unexpected-and unfortunately necessary-use for his fishing rod: a weapon of self-defense. The discovery involved three criminally stupid robbers, a gun and one tough senior citizen who was fishing a point in a north St. Louis park in Missouri.

According to police, the incident occurred just after 10 p.m. September 28 in O'Fallon Park when the fisherman was approached by three male suspects age 15, 16 and 20. The suspects produced a handgun and announced a robbery. The fisherman resisted, and a struggle ensued wherein he defended himself with his fishing pole. The victim suffered a laceration to his abdomen in the process, but his efforts were enough to send his attackers fleeing by foot from the park. A short time later police were called to the 4300 block of W. Florissant Avenue for a report of a "cutting." They were met there by the two juvenile suspects who stated while in O'Fallon Park they had been attacked by a man with a fishing pole. The 16-year-old suspect was carted off to juvenile and booked. The 15-year-old was transported to an area hospital and treated for a cut before being booked at juvenile. The fisherman, meanwhile, was transported by EMS to an area hospital where he is listed in stable condition. Needless to say, it's never a good idea to mess with a tough old fisherman.